Reflections Of A Mad Man In A Box
by Soren Londynsky
Summary: The Tenth Doctor contemplates the meaning of his lives and looks back on his past, finding himself lonelier than ever after Rose's departure. A sudden distress signal from Cardiff puts The Doctor side by side with Torchwood, and Captain Jack Harkness gives The Doctor something that he didn't know he had missing.
1. Chapter 1

The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS control panel, the reverberant noise emanating from the nearby system's sensors putting him into a near limbotic state. The Time Lord ran his hand up through his hair and over his head and rubbed the back of his neck before turning around to face the emptiness of the TARDIS as a whole.

_She's not coming back. _

He tried to convince himself with as much reason and logic that he could muster that Rose was safe, tucked away in a parallel world with the human version of himself to watch over her. It brought comfort to The Doctor, but he'd just about give one of his hearts just to spend another moment with her. He'd lived so many lives now, visited so many places and met so many people. He'd affected so many lives with his presence alone. Those who were fortunate enough to affect The Doctor's life almost always ended up leaving him just as quick.

No distress signals from the TARDIS. Almost like the whole of time and space itself was giving him a moment of rest.

_Donna, and her bossy demeanor. Oh how he wished he could just talk to her again. Even if she was just yelling at him in her typical sassy attitude. _

_Martha, and her loyal devotion. She was the most fortunate out of his companions. _The job at UNIT he'd set her up with provided The Doctor with at least a slight sense of comfort. She could take care of herself.

What pained The Doctor most of all was that out of all his companions, there was no way he'd ever be able to see Rose's smile again. He missed the way she spoke, the way they teased each other and how much she trusted him with her life.

The life he'd lost.

Time Lords were given the gift of regeneration, whereas human's died and that was final.

The Doctor frowned and with a sigh of exhaustion reached for his coat that lay hung over the nearby chairs. He swung his arms through the large brown pinstriped coat and checked himself in the mirror.

_Is that a grey hair?_

The Time Lord placed his glasses on and examined his reflection closer, baffled and stunned when he couldn't find the hair. _New Teeth. New Hair. Still not a ginger_.

The more and more The Doctor tried to distract himself from his thought process, the more lonely he became.

The TARDIS computer suddenly blared an alert, and the Doctor ran over to the control panel. "Cardiff?" But that was where Jack and his Torchwood team was? Why would they need his help? The Doctor locked in coordinates and flicked various switches and knobs with the skills and precision of a pilot who knew his ship. More or less the TARDIS directed _him_ where he needed to go, which was Wales at the current moment. "Oh, Jack. Finally run into something you can't handle on your own?" He grinned some.

The Doctor grabbed onto the railing for impact, the familiar shaking of Time Vortex travel rumbling beneath his converse sneakers.

He'd go wherever he was needed and leave his imprint all throughout time as he'd always done, but nothing would ever amount to the days he'd spent with Rose. The Doctor thought about Rose again, and this time it was not out of regret or forlorn sadness but out of fondness for the days that once were.

The days he'd eventually grow to remember as the time he'd spent with the _Bad Wolf_.

Which now, come to think of it were among the best days of all his lives put together.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack towered over the hub's conference room table, a map detailing Cardiff sprawling over its form. On it were several labels with various color codes, each detailing a time and date along with various events that were connected to each other over the last few weeks. Jack cleared his throat and glanced to the other members of Torchwood that accompanied him. "I'd like to thank you all for being here." Harkness began, his charming and confident aura showering words with the seriousness of a battle hardened leader.

"Not like we have a choice in the matter." Owen mumbled, legs propped up against the table. Toshiko glimpsed at him for a brief moment. "What is it?"

"Nothing…" Toshiko quickly shook her head.

Gwen narrowed her eyes at Owen, both amazed and not surprised at Owen's casual demeanor that didn't seem to phase given the seriousness of what Jack was about to say. "Oi." The Welsh woman snapped. "Get your feet off the table, yeah? Jack's trying to speak and you causing a distraction isn't going to do us any good now is it?"

Ianto balanced a tray carrying cups of tea that he began distributing over the table, doing his best to hide a shared smirk with Jack. "Since when did you get so eager to hear what I have to say?"

"Since you got me into this whole mess." Gwen smirked, joining the others for a seat. As of late The Rift's temporal shifting was out of shape. Some sort of leak in the mainframe of it all was spewing Weevils and other pests around the city. Almost like it was trying to distract them.

"You all know why I called this meeting. Activity has been-" Jack froze, his ear sensing through the hub a sound that brought hope and sudden exclamation in his tone. "Doctor?" His words were surprisingly silent. Jack ran out of their conference room and into the computer area, his steps coming to a halt when spotting the TARDIS directly in front of him.

The door creaked open, and out stepped The Doctor whom rubbed the back of his neck with his eyebrows raised. "Ello Jack!" He greeted with a calmness to his tone. "What seems to be the problem?"

"What are you talking about?" Jack didn't know why The Doctor would be here. He hadn't come here to refuel since the whole thing with The Master.

"Your distress call, I got it right here." The Doctor revealed his psychic paper, words that clearly displayed a call for help over the paper.

"What distress call? We're fine." The others followed Jack, standing a good distance from The Tardis.

"This is him?" Gwen speculated. Jack mentioned a man called The Doctor several times in the past.

"Yeah. Did any of you somehow manage to send a distress signal to The Doctor?" Jack turned around to face the others only to receive a look of confusion.

Toshiko spoke up. "Oh, uh. I think I might know something about this. I have something to show you, Doctor," This earned a glance from the others.

"Lead on then, shall we?" The Doctor beckoned politely with a cheerful tone. "Allons-y!"


End file.
